1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reaction method and a reaction apparatus for conducting an adsorption reaction that adsorbs specifically a subject substance of analysis.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the progress of molecular biology in recent years, such an approach is indicated that individual differences in effectiveness and a side effect of drug dosing in the disease treatment due to the constitution of individual can be predicted by analyzing a biological substance such as a blood, or the like. Such a tendency is rising that the optimum remedy for individuals should be applied by utilizing such approach.
For example, when it is known in advance that the effectiveness and the side effect of the particular therapeutic drug are correlated strongly with the particular gene, a base sequence of the patient's gene must be known to utilize this information in the treatment of the particular patient. The genetic diagnosis for getting the information about mutation of the endogenous gene or single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) can be executed by amplifying and detecting a target nucleic acid containing such mutation or single nucleotide polymorphism. Therefore, a simple method capable of amplifying and detecting a target nucleic acid in a sample quickly and precisely is demanded.
In this case, while using either a protein such as an antibody, an antigen, or the like, which adsorbs specifically the subject substance of analysis, or a single-strand nucleic acid as a probe, an antigen-antibody reaction or a hybridization of nucleic acid is applied to the subject substance of analysis. For this purpose, a labeled substance having a high detecting sensitivity such as an enzyme and supporting the above protein, the nucleic acid, or the like that binds specifically to the subject substance of analysis is bonded previously to the subject substance of analysis. Then, the subject substance of analysis is detected and quantitated by detecting and determining quantitatively this labeled substance.
As the technology of this type, the technology to perform the antigen-antibody reaction and the washing operation in a single channel while injecting sequentially plural liquids into the single channel is already known (see International Publication 03/062823 Pamphlet, JP-A-2006-337221, for example). Also, the technology to prevent air bubbles from intervening between the liquids during the process of injecting sequentially plural liquids into a single channel is already known (see JP-A-2007-83191, for example). In the technology disclosed in JP-A-2007-83191, the hydrophobic channel is provided, the air vent hole and the water-repellant valve are provided to the channel, and the air located between the liquids is exhausted by pressure-feeding the liquid.